jg.thefirm-第1部分

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　　THE　SENIOR　partner　studied　the　resume　for　the　hundredth　time　and　again　found　nothing　he　disliked　about　Mitchell　Y。　McDeere；　at　least　not　on　paper。　He　had　the　brains；　the　ambition；　the　good　looks。　And　he　was　hungry；　with　his　background；　he　had　to　be。　He　was　married；　and　that　was　mandatory。　　had　never　hired　an　unmarried　lawyer；　and　it　frowned　heavily　on　divorce；　as　well　as　womanizing　and　drinking。　Drug　testing　was　in　the　contract。　He　had　a　degree　in　accounting；　passed　the　CPA　exam　the　first　time　he　took　it　and　wanted　to　be　a　tax　lawyer；　which　of　course　was　a　requirement　with　a　tax　firm。　He　was　white；　and　　had　never　hired　a　black。　They　managed　this　by　being　secretive　and　clubbish　and　never　soliciting　job　applications。　Other　firms　solicited；　and　hired　blacks。　This　firm　recruited；　and　remained　lily　white。　Plus；　　was　in　Memphis；　of　all　places；　and　the　top　blacks　wanted　New　York　or　Washington　or　Chicago。　McDeere　was　a　male；　and　there　were　no　women　in　。　That　mistake　had　been　made　in　the　mid…seventies　when　they　recruited　the　number　one　grad　from　Harvard；　who　happened　to　be　a　she　and　a　wizard　at　taxation。　She　lasted　four　turbulent　years　and　was　killed　in　a　car　wreck。
　　He　looked　good；　on　paper。　He　was　their　top　choice。　In　fact；　for　this　year　there　were　no　other　prospects。　The　list　was　very　short。　It　was　McDeere　or　no　one。
　　The　managing　partner；　Royce　McKnight；　studied　a　dossier　labeled　〃Mitchell　Y。　McDeere…Harvard。〃　An　inch　thick　with　small　print　and　a　few　photographs；　it　had　been　prepared　by　some　ex…CIA　agents　in　a　private　intelligence　outfit　in　Bethesda。　They　were　clients　of　　and　each　year　did　the　investigating　for　no　fee。　It　was　easy　work；　they　said；　checking　out　unsuspecting　law　students。　They　learned；　for　instance；　that　he　preferred　to　leave　the　Northeast；　that　he　was　holding　three　job　offers；　two　in　New　York　and　one　in　Chicago；　and　that　the　highest　offer　was　76；000　and　the　lowest　was　68；000。　He　was　in　demand。　He　had　been　given　the　opportunity　to　cheat　on　a　securities　exam　during　his　second　year。　He　declined；　and　made　the　highest　grade　in　the　class。　Two　months　ago　he　had　been　offered　cocaine　at　a　law　school　party。　He　said　no　and　left　when　everyone　began　snorting。　He　drank　an　occasional　beer；　but　drinking　was　expensive　and　he　had　no　money。　He　owed　close　to　23；000　in　student　loans。　He　was　hungry。
　　Royce　McKnight　flipped　through　the　dossier　and　smiled。　McDeere　was　their　man。
　　Lamar　Quin　was　thirty…two　and　not　yet　a　partner。　He　had　been　brought　along　to　look　young　and　act　young　and　project　a　youthful　image　for　Bendini；　Lambert　&　Locke；　which　in　fact　was　a　young　firm；　since　most　of　the　partners　retired　in　their　late　forties　or　early　fifties　with　money　to　burn。　He　would　make　partner　in　this　firm。　With　a　six…figure　ine　guaranteed　for　the　rest　of　his　life；　Lamar　could　enjoy　the　twelve…hundred…dollar　tailored　suits　that　hung　so　fortably　from　his　tall；　athletic　frame。　He　strolled　nonchalantly　across　the　thousand…dollar…a…day　suite　and　poured　another　cup　of　decaf。　He　checked　his　watch。　He　glanced　at　the　two　partners　sitting　at　the　small　conference　table　near　the　windows。
　　Precisely　at　two…thirty　someone　knocked　on　the　door。　La…mar　looked　at　the　partners；　who　slid　the　resume　and　dossier　into　an　open　briefcase。　All　three　reached　for　their　jackets。　Lamar　buttoned　his　top　button　and　opened　the　door。
　　〃Mitchell　McDeere？〃　he　asked　with　a　huge　smile　and　a　hand　thrust　forward。
　　〃Yes。〃　They　shook　hands　violently。
　　〃Nice　to　meet　you；　Mitchell。　I'm　Lamar　Quin。〃
　　〃My　pleasure。　Please　call　me　Mitch。〃　He　stepped　inside　and　quickly　surveyed　the　spacious　room。
　　〃Sure；　Mitch。〃　Lamar　grabbed　his　shoulder　and　led　him　across　the　suite；　where　the　partners　introduced　themselves。　They　were　exceedingly　warm　and　cordial。　They　offered　him　coffee；　then　water。　They　sat　around　a　shiny　mahogany　conference　table　and　exchanged　pleasantries。　McDeere　unbuttoned　his　coat　and　crossed　his　legs。　He　was　now　a　seasoned　veteran　in　the　search　of　employment；　and　he　knew　they　wanted　him。　He　relaxed。　With　three　job　offers　from　three　of　the　most　prestigious　firms　in　the　country；　he　did　not　need　this　interview；　this　firm。　He　could　afford　to　be　a　little　overconfident　now。　He　was　there　out　of　curiosity。　And　he　longed　for　warmer　weather。
　　Oliver　Lambert；　the　senior　partner；　leaned　forward　on　his　elbows　and　took　control　of　the　preliminary　chitchat。　He　was　glib　and　engaging　with　a　mellow；　almost　professional　baritone。　At　sixty…one；　he　was　the　grandfather　of　the　firm　and　spent　most　of　his　time　administering　and　balancing　the　enormous　egos　of　some　of　the　richest　lawyers　in　the　country。　He　was　the　counselor；　the　one　the　younger　associates　went　to　with　their　troubles。　Mr。　Lambert　also　handled　the　recruiting；　and　it　was　his　mission　to　sign　Mitchell　Y。　McDeere。
　　〃Are　you　tired　of　interviewing？〃　asked　Oliver　Lambert。
　　〃Not　really。　It's　part　of　it。〃
　　Yes；　yes；　they　all　agreed。　Seemed　like　yesterday　they　were　interviewing　and　submitting　resumes　and　scared　to　death　they　wouldn't　find　a　job　and　three　years　of　sweat　and　torture　would　be　down　the　drain。　They　knew　what　he　was　going　through；　all　right。
　　〃May　I　ask　a　question？〃　Mitch　asked。
　　〃Certainly。〃
　　〃Sure。〃
　　〃Anything。〃
　　〃Why　are　we　interviewing　in　this　hotel　room？　The　other　firms　interview　on　campus　through　the　placement　office。〃
　　〃Good　question。〃　They　all　nodded　and　looked　at　each　other　and　agreed　it　was　a　good　question。
　　〃Perhaps　I　can　answer　that；　Mitch；〃　said　Royce　McKnight；　the　managing　partner。　〃You　must　understand　our　firm。　We　are　different；　and　we　take　pride　in　that。　We　have　forty…one　lawyers；　so　we　are　small　pared　with　other　firms。　We　don't　hire　too　many　people；　about　one　every　other　year。　We　offer　the　highest　salary　and　fringes　in　the　country；　and　I'm　not　exaggerating。　So　we　are　very　selective。　We　selected　you。　The　letter　you　received　last　month　was　sent　after　we　screened　over　two　thousand　third…year　law　students　at　the　best　schools。　Only　one　letter　was　sent。　We　don't　advertise　openings　and　we　don't　solicit　applications。　We　keep　a　low　profile；　and　we　do　things　differently。　That's　our　explanation。〃
　　〃Fair　enough。　What　kind　of　firm　is　it？〃
　　〃Tax。　Some　securities；　real　estate　and　banking；　but　eighty　percent　is　tax　work。　That's　why　we　wanted　to　meet　you；　Mitch。　You　have　an　incredibly　strong　tax　background。〃
　　〃Why'd　you　go　to　Western　Kentucky？〃　asked　Oliver　Lambert。
　　〃Simple。　They　offered　me　a　full　scholarship　to　play　football。　Had　it　not　been　for　that；　college　would've　been　impossible。〃
　　〃Tell　us　about　your　family。〃
　　〃Why　is　that　important？〃
　　〃It's　very　important　to　us；　Mitch；〃　Royce　McKnight　said　warmly。
　　They　all　say　that；　thought　McDeere。　〃Okay；　my　father　was　killed　in　the　coal　mines　when　I　was　seven　years　old。　My　mother　remarried　and　lives　in　Florida。　I　had　two　brothers。　Rusty　was　killed　in　Vietnam。　I　have　a　brother　named　Ray　McDeere。〃
　　〃Where　is　he？〃
　　〃I'm　afraid　that's　none　of　your　business。〃　He　stared　at　Royce　McKnight　and　exposed　a　mammoth　chip　on　his　shoulder。　The　dossier　said　little　about　Ray。
　　〃I'm　sorry；〃　the　managing　partner　said　softly。
　　〃Mitch；　our　firm　is　in　Memphis；〃　Lamar　said。　〃Does　that　bother　you？〃
　　〃Not　at　all。　I'm　not　fond　of　cold　weather。〃
　　〃Have　you　ever　been　to　Memphis？〃
　　〃No。〃
　　〃We'll　have　you　down　soon。　You'll　love　it。〃
　　Mitch　smiled　and　nodded　and　played　along。　Were　these　guys　serious？　How　could　he　consider　such　a　small　firm　in　such　a　small　town　when　Wall　Street　was　waiting？
　　〃How　are　you　ranked　in　your　class？〃　Mr。　Lambert　asked。
　　〃Top　five。〃　Not　top　five　percent；　but　top　five。　That　was　enough　of　an　answer　for　all　of　them。　Top　five　out　of　three　hundred。　He　could　have　said　number　three；　a　fraction　away　from　number　two；　and　within　striking　distance　of　number　one。　But　he　didn't。　They　came　from　inferior　schools…Chicago；　Columbia　and　Vanderbilt；　as　he　recalled　from　a　cursory　examination　of　Martindale…HubbelPs　Legal　Directory。　He　knew　they　would　not　dwell　on　academics。
　　〃Why　did　you　select　Harvard？〃
　　〃Actually；　Harvard　selected　me。　I　applied　at　several　schools　and　was　accepted　everywhere。　Harvard　offered　more　financial　assistance。　I　thought　it　was　the　best　school。　Still　do。〃
　　〃You've　done　quite　well　here；　Mitch；〃　Mr。　Lambert　said；　admiring　the　resume。　The　dossier　was　in　the　briefcase；　under　the　table。
　　〃Thank　you。　I've　worked　hard。〃
　　〃You　made　extremely　high　grades　in　your　tax　and　securities　courses。〃
　　〃That's　where　my　interest　lies。〃
　　〃We've　reviewed　your　writing　sample；　and　it's　quite　impressive。〃
　　〃Thank　you。　I　enjoy　research。〃
　　They　nodded　and　acknowledged　this　obvious　lie。　It　was　part　of　the　ritual。　No　law　student　or　lawyer　in　his　right　mind　enjoyed　research；　yet；　without　fail；　every　prospective　associate　professed　a　deep　love　for　the　library。
　　〃Tell　us　about　your　wife；〃　Royce　McKnight　said；　almost　meekly。　They　braced　for　another　reprimand。　But　it　was　a　standard；　nonsacred　area　explored　by　every　firm。
　　〃Her　name　is　Abby。　She　has　a　degree　in　elementary　education　from　Western　Kentucky。　We　graduated　one　week　and　got　married　the　next。　For　the　past　three　years　she's　taught　at　a　private　kindergarten　near　Boston　College。〃
　　〃And